Is Indoor Cycling a Good Exercise?

There are innumerable ways to get a cardio workout: running, swimming, playing sports and indoor cycling are just a few activities that come to mind. All of these workouts are really good for you of course, but let’s talk about indoor cycling in particular. Is indoor cycling a good exercise? The short answer is yes, and below are several reasons why it makes for such a great workout.

Good Cardio

Indoor cycling isn’t your average cardio activity. As you pedal and exert yourself, your heart begins to work harder to supply the rest of your body with oxygen-rich blood. Working your heart regularly like this makes your heart stronger overall. You can even reduce your chance of developing heart disease and increase the capacity of your coronary arteries, lowering your blood pressure.

Cardio workouts burn fat and speed up your metabolism, which makes your body more efficient and reduces your diabetes risk. You also produce more mitochondria, which results in higher overall energy levels throughout the day. You will feel more energized and content, since exercising helps to release endorphins as well.

A cardio workout like indoor cycling also helps to tone and strengthen your leg muscles, as well as your lower back and abdominal muscles given the right techniques. Your bones become denser, which helps to cut down on potential injury.

Low Impact

Indoor cycling is a low impact workout, which means you aren’t punishing your joints with jarring movements while you exercise. For example running on hard surfaces like concrete puts a strain on your joints as your feet come down hard on the floor. Over time this takes its toll on your joints. With indoor cycling however, your joints aren’t absorbing any shocks from impact with the ground; your joints are constantly engaged in smooth movements while you pedal. Indoor cycling is a great way to get your cardio while being kind to your joints.

Motivating

Indoor cycling is a highly rewarding and motivating workout. With a good Spinning® instructor, you can be motivated with positive reinforcement and stimulating music. Indoor cycling classes in particular offer a rewarding group experience in which each cyclist pushes him- or herself to meet their workout goals. Indoor cycling can be an exciting social workout experience, or you can cycle in the comfort of your own home with your favorite tunes while you grow stronger and feel better as a result.

As you can see, indoor cycling provides tremendous physical and psychological benefits. You are strengthening your entire cardiovascular system, working out various muscle groups, speeding up your metabolism, increasing your energy production, strengthening your bones and taking it easy on your joints. Take a Spinning® class today to see what indoor cycling can do for you.